Population 34,074 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Ford County
Household size in Ford County
| Period | Ford County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.99 | 2.54 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.06 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.99 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.87 | 2.53 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.12 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
The typical household in Ford County holds 2.87 people, more than the U.S. average of 2.65. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.99, a much bigger shift than nationally. Few Kansas counties have larger households: only four of 105.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Ford County
| Period | Ford County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.6 | 37.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 32.7 | 37.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 33.3 | 38.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 34.2 | 38.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.6 | +1.4 | +2.3 |
Ford County is young: half of its residents are under 34.2, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young families with children. The median age has climbed from 32.6 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Few Kansas counties are younger: only five of 105.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Ford County
| Period | Ford County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.0% | 10.8% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 15.1% | 10.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 13.4% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 18.9% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| Change | +5.9 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in Ford County: 18.9% of all households, against 11.6% nationally. The single-parent share has risen 5.9 points since 2006–10, even as the national share fell. Of Kansas' 105 counties, only two have a higher share of single-parent households.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Ford County
Renters in Ford County
| Period | Ford County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.7% | 30.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 35.7% | 32.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 38.5% | 33.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 37.5% | 32.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +5.8 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Nearly four in ten households in Ford County rent their homes (37.5%), close to the national share of 34.8%. Renters make up a bigger share here than in Kansas as a whole (32.8%). About six in ten owners (58.3%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is up 5.8 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Ford County
| Period | Ford County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.2% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.3% | 10.4% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.2% | 11.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.8% | 9.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.3 pts | −0.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Ford County as nationally: 8.8%, against 9.6%. Vacancy has edged down 1.3 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. Ford County has a lower vacancy rate than at least four in five Kansas counties.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Ford County
| Period | Ford County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1970 | 1971 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1967 | 1972 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1969 | 1973 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1970 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | −0 | +5 | +6 |
Ford County is a place of older homes: half were built before 1970, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. Newer construction is concentrated in the north, while the west has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Ford County
| Period | Ford County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $643 | $769 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $625 | $858 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $814 | $950 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,077 | $1,159 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$435 | +$390 | +$606 |
Rent in Ford County runs $1,077 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $435 a month since 2006–10, up 68%, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 23.6% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. Rents run highest in the northwest and lowest in the center.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Ford County
Bachelor's degrees in Ford County
| Period | Ford County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.7% | 30.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 16.0% | 31.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 17.3% | 33.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 20.7% | 35.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.9 pts | +4.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Ford County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 20.7%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is up 3.9 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the north and least in the center.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Ford County
| Period | Ford County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 67.9% | 89.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 68.0% | 90.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 73.0% | 90.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 75.4% | 91.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +7.6 pts | +2.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
About a quarter of adults in Ford County never finished high school, well above the national share: only 75.4% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma has risen 7.6 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. Only three of Kansas' 105 counties have a lower share of high school graduates.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Ford County
| Period | Ford County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.9% | 6.1% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.4% | 6.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.9% | 4.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.0% | 4.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | +1.1 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.0%, unemployment in Ford County is close to the national rate of 5.4%. The rate is higher than in Kansas as a whole (4.0%). Unemployment has edged up 1.1 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Ford County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ford County | 2.87 | 34.2 | 18.9% | 37.5% | 8.8% | 1970 | $1,077 | 20.7% | 75.4% | 5.0% |
| Gray County | 2.69 | 37.4 | 6.1% | 22.9% | 9.0% | 1977 | $853 | 25.0% | 77.4% | 2.6% |
| Pratt County | 2.48 | 37.3 | 13.1% | 26.8% | 20.7% | 1958 | $811 | 26.1% | 90.6% | 3.4% |
| Kingman County | 2.26 | 44.0 | 5.0% | 33.7% | 14.2% | 1958 | $816 | 24.6% | 91.5% | 2.3% |
| Sedgwick County | 2.60 | 37.3 | 12.2% | 36.9% | 9.8% | 1979 | $1,141 | 32.1% | 89.3% | 5.2% |
| Butler County | 2.65 | 39.4 | 9.7% | 22.4% | 8.8% | 1985 | $1,104 | 34.3% | 95.0% | 3.5% |
| Greenwood County | 2.19 | 47.8 | 10.6% | 19.5% | 26.7% | 1959 | $789 | 21.1% | 92.9% | 3.4% |
| Woodson County | 2.44 | 47.7 | 6.8% | 15.4% | 30.4% | 1961 | $616 | 23.1% | 90.4% | 1.5% |
| Neosho County | 2.41 | 41.8 | 12.3% | 22.8% | 10.8% | 1965 | $667 | 23.5% | 93.1% | 3.6% |
| Allen County | 2.48 | 40.2 | 12.6% | 24.6% | 16.2% | 1965 | $651 | 23.5% | 94.6% | 8.0% |
| Huerfano County | 2.27 | 52.5 | 9.9% | 24.9% | 29.7% | 1964 | $906 | 23.6% | 90.1% | 7.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Bennington County, VT · Avoyelles Parish, LA · Woodford County, IL · Wise County, VA · Williamsburg County, SC · Barry County, MO · Barton County, KS · Baxter County, AR · Williams County, ND · Bee County, TX
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Ford County. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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